Leading players, including Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, have expressed “deep disappointment” over prize money levels at Roland Garros, which has been in a protracted dispute with the organizers of the Grand Slam tournament.
The clay-court Grand Slam tournament begins in the west of Paris later this month. Players said they had other demands that authorities had not addressed, including better representation, health and pensions.
The players’ call came after French Open organizers announced last month that Roland Garros prize money had been increased by about 10%, bringing the total pot to 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million), a total increase of 5.3 million euros ($6.2 million) from last year.
“Athletes’ share of Roland Garros’ tournament revenue has declined from 15.5% in 2024 to an expected 14.9% in 2026,” the association responded in a statement on Monday.
Matches begin on May 24th at Roland Garros. The men’s and women’s singles winners will each receive 2.8 million euros ($3.28 million), and the runners-up will receive 1.4 million euros ($1.64 million). Semi-finalists will receive 750,000 euros ($878,685) and first-round losers will receive 87,000 euros ($101,927). The men’s and women’s doubles winners will receive 600,000 euros ($702,786), while the mixed doubles winners will receive 122,000 euros ($142,899).
But the statement said “the underlying numbers tell a very different story”, arguing that players are receiving a decreasing share of the value they contribute.
“According to tournament officials, Roland Garros will generate revenue of 395 million euros ($462,481,800) in 2025, an increase of 14% from the previous year, but prize money increased by only 5.4% and the athlete share of revenue decreased to 14.3%,” they said. “Estimated revenue for this year’s tournament is expected to exceed 400 million euros ($468,426,000), but prize money is likely to still account for less than 15% of that revenue, far short of the 22% required by the players to align the Grand Slam with the ATP and WTA Combined 1000 events.”
French Open organizers did not respond to requests for comment.
The same group of athletes had already signed a letter to the leaders of the Grand Slam tournaments last year, asking for increased prize money and more say in what they called “decisions that directly affect them.”
The news agency that issued the statement said it was issued in the name of the original signatory of the original letter, later adding that Novak Djokovic had not signed the new statement.
The players said they “remain united in our desire to see meaningful progress both in fair funding and in the way our sport is run.” They claim they have received no response to proposals regarding benefits, including pensions and long-term health, adding that no progress has been made “on fair and transparent player representation in Grand Slam decision-making.”
“While other major international sports are modernizing governance, aligning stakeholders and building long-term value, the Grand Slams continue to resist change,” they said. “The lack of consultation with athletes and the continued lack of investment in player welfare reflects a system that does not adequately represent the interests of those at the heart of the sport’s success.”
